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vy\  - 3 


THE 


Rutgers  Graddates  IN  Japan. 


AN  ADDRESS  DELIVERED  IN 


Kirkpatrick  Chapel,  Rutgers  College, 


JUNE  16,  1885. 


WILLIAM  Elliot  Grirlis, 


OF  THE  CLASS  OF  1869. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  RUTGERS  COLLEGE  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION. 


ALBANY : 

WEED,  PARSONS  AND  COMPANY,  PRINTERS. 

1886. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/rutgersgraduatesOOgrif_0 


THE 


BADOATES  IN  JAPAN. 


AN  ADDRESS  DELIVERED  IN 


Kirkpatrick  Chapel,  Rutgers  College, 

JUNE  16,  1885. 


William:  Elliot  Grilf^is, 


OF  THE  CLASS  OF  1869. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  RUTGERS  COLLEGE  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION. 


ALBANY : 

WEED,  PARSONS  AND  COMPANY,  PRINTERS. 

1886. 


This  address  was  delivered  in  the  Kirkpatrick  Chapel  of  Eutgers  College,  June  10, 
1885,  before  the  Board  of  Trustees,  the  President  and  Faculty,  and  the  Alumni  Asso- 
ciation. By  unanimous  request  of  the  Trustees  and  of  the  Association,  the  address 
is  herewith  printed. 

E.  P.  Teriiune,  ’50,  President, 

J.  S.  N.  l)EJr.\REST,  ’72,  Treasurer, 

John  S.  Voorhees,  ’76,  Secretary, 

Committee  of  Publication. 


ADDRESS. 


Mr.  President.,  Officers  and  Fellow- Alumni  : 

It  seems  appropriate  to  follow  up  the  subject  so  ably  and  brilliantly 
presented  last  year  by  onr  member  of  the  class  of  ’65  — “ The  Scholar 
in  Practical  Life” — with  a theme  similar  in  its  associations,  illustrated, 
however,  by  history.  Laying  aside  philosophy  and  literary  discussion, 
we  shall  pursue  the  humbler  vocation  of  narrator  and  eye-witness,  as 
we  tell  of  “ The  Putgers  Graduates  in  Japan,”  and  what  they  saw  there. 

May  we  not  suggest  that  in  future  our  themes  shall  occasionally  con- 
cern themselves  with  the  achievements  of  our  fellow-alumni  ? Surely 
a college  which  already  wears  her  crown  of  a hundred  and  fifteen  years 
of  honor,  has  a right  to  reminiscence  and  record.  May  we  not  talk  of 
the  scholars,  the  statesmen,  the  soldiers,  the  diplomatists  of  Rutgers  • 
and  what  for  learning,  for  literature,  for  science,  for  war,  for  peace, 
for  diplomacy  and  state-craft  her  sons  have  accomplished?  In  both 
our  own  land  and  abroad  our  fellow-alumni  have  toiled  in  the  world’s 
work,  and  left  enduring  works  of  influence  of  which  we,  sons  of  alma 
mater,  should  know  for  stimulus  and  cheer. 

Yet,  note  that  your  speaker  to-day  shall  not,  transcending  modesty, 
detail  what  the  Rutgers’  graduates  in  Japan  have  done,  but  what  they 
have  seen. 

Our  first  Minister-resident  of  the  United  States,  accredited  to  the 
court  of  Yedo,  was  Robert  H.  Pruyn  of  the  class  of  ’33.  Appointed 
by  President  Lincioln  in  1861,  he  went  out  in  the  dark  days  of  the  civil 
war,  when  our  nation  was  engaged  in  a life-struggle  at  home.  Despite 
domestic  affliction  on  the  way  to  the  far  off  destination,  he  turned  not 
back,  but  set  himself  bravely  to  his  work.  In  those  days  when  no 
telegraph  enabled  the  diplomatist  to  converse  with  the  home  govern- 
ment, nor  steamers,  whose  swiftness  and  punctuality  now  suggest  the 
regularity  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  cut  the  Pacific  waves,  the  American 
envoy  was  left  to  his  own  decisions  and  resources.  Our  first  Rutgers 
alumnus  in  Japan  was  sent  to  compete  with  European  diplomatists  of 
life  long  training;  and,  in  the  face  of  the  proud  and  exclusive  hermits 


4 


of  tlie  island  empire,  to  maintain  the  prestige  of  the  United  States  so 
nobly  created  by  Matthew  Perry  and  Townsend  Harris.  He  was 
accompanied  by  his  son,  Robert  C.  Pruyn,  afterward  a member  and 
graduate  of  the  class  of  ’(59.  At  Yokohama  they  found  James  H- 
Ballagb  of  the  class  of  ’57.  This  was  the  first  group  of  Rutgers  men 
in  the  Land  of  the  Day’s  Beginning. 

Let  us  note  what  they  saw  in  1861;  or,  if  all  that  wrought  in  the 
life  of  the  nation,  was  not  then  floating  and  visible  on  surface-currents, 
what  deeps  were  then  calling  unto  deeps,  before  their  mighty  foun- 
tains should  be  broken  up  for  the  floating  of  a new  ark,  and  the  dawn- 
ing of  a new  world. 

Here,  then,  were  the  diplomatist  and  the  missionary,  each  called  to 
confront  difficult,  dangerous  and,  at  times,  almost  hopeless  tasks.  The 
American  envoy  in  Yedo  was  accredited  to  the  sho-gun,  or  in  more 
common  American  parlance,  the  Tycoon.  With  the  rest  of  the  world, 
Mr.  Pruyn  had  come  believing  in  the  duarchy  of  two  emperors  — the 
spiritual  and  the  temporal.  The  military  despotism  at  Yedo  had  for 
two  centuries  propagated  a lie  which  all  the  world  believed,  but  which 
Mr.  Pruyn  was  to  help  discover  and  lay  bare.  He  soon  found  himself, 
as  he  himself  has  described  it,  playing  a game  in  which  his  unseen  ad- 
versary moved  the  pieces  with  an  invisible  hand.  He  perceived  that 
the  government  recognized  by  Perry  and  by  Harris  was  but  a hoary 
fraud,  and  a colossal  usurpation;  that  the  theory  of  duarchy  was  his- 
torically a fiction,  and,  unless  the  treaties"  were  signed  by  the  Mikado, 
the  previous  work  of  Perry  must  be  undone,  and  the  half-open  gates 
of  the  hermits  be  shut  once  more.  The  political  real  estate  in  Japan 
seemed  about  to  rock  down  in  the  throes  of  earthquake.  Unseen  forces 
were  breaking  forth  to  engulf  institutions  centuries  old. 

In  the  midst  of  these  troubles  on  land  came  sorrow  from  the  sea. 
The  Alabama  and  the  other  Confederate  commerce-destroyers  swept 
the  seas  of  our  flag  and  shipping.  The  otficers  of  the  old  navy,  under 
Perry  and  Rodgers,  had  turned  their  knowledge  acquired  in  the  eastern 
seas  into  an  engine  of  destruction.  Crossing  the  trail  of  every  Amer- 
ican ship,  they  burnt,  sank  and  destroyed,  until  our  people  at  the  ends 
of  the  earth  felt  that  they  had  no  longer  a home.  None,  more  than 
they,  read  with  tears  and  knew  tlie  pathos  of  the  story  of  “ The  Man 
Without  a Country.” 

Those  four  bitter  3’ears  were  hard  both  for  missionary  and  diplom- 
atist, yet  both  sons  of  Rutgers  quitted  themselves  like  men.  The  one 
in  mastery  of  the  vernacular  spoken  language  of  the  people  is  to-day 
probably  not  excelled  by  any  missionary  on  the  soil ; while  as  transla- 
tor, preacher,  evangelist,  and  founder  of  the  first  Protestant,  and  the 


first  Reformed,  Christian  church  in  Japan,  he  has  done  memorable 
service.  He  has  seen  two  of  liis  children  enter  the  sublime  calling 
of  the  missionary,  and  is  preparing  a son  for  Rutgers.  The  other, 
whose  two  sons  are  our  fellow-alumui,  has  left  a body  of  diplomatic 
cori'espondence  highly  ]iraised  by  so  impartial  a judge  as  Cliarles  Sum- 
ner. According  to  his  best  light,  he  upheld  the  honor  of  our  country 
and  her  flag,  in  a time  that  at  the  ends  of  the  earth,  as  at  home,  “ tried 
men’s  souls.” 

These,  our  fellow-allumi,  were  “beginners  of  a better  time”  in  a 
land  and  era  of  falsehood,  sham,  and  gross  paganism.  What  did  they 
see?  It  maybe  that  they  looked  too  often  at  reeds  shaken  by  the 
wind,  yet  they  too  beheld,  in  the  day  of  their  small  things,  some  of 
the  greatest  born  of  Japanese  wmmen,  whom  God  made  forerunners  of 
a new  nation  and  kingdom.  The  murders,  assassinations,  incendiarism, 
the  apparent  loosening  of  the  bonds  of  society,  which  once  so  alarmed, 
were  but  signs  of  the  times,  heralding  the  day  which  we  behold. 

Things  outwardly  beheld  were  these  : A military  despotism  in 
Yedo  whose  beginning  had  been  in  the  twelfth  century;  the  anar- 
chronism  in  the  nineteentli  century  of  a perfected  system  of  feudalism  ; 
an  iron-handed  ruler,  called  by  foreigners  the  Tycoon,  holding  nearly 
three  hundred  daimios,  or  landed  feudal  barons  in  leash,  treating  diplo- 
matically with  western  nations  which  gradually  found  that  the  signa- 
torj^  of  their  treaties  had  not  power  to  enforce  his  decrees  or  fulfill 
his  promises,  and  that  the  centre  of  authority  iu  Japan  must  be  else- 
where ; even  in  Kioto,  all  critical  study  and  investigtion  of  scholars 
laid  under  interdict,  an  embargo  put  on  foreign  ideas,  death  the  penalty 
for  going  abroad,  or  believing  in  Christianity ; patriots  and  scholars 
imprisoned  or  beheaded  ; the  whole  nation  giving  to  lying ; officials 
abnormally  numerous  and  fattening  on  the  people  by  oppression  ; 
feudalism  made  spectacular,  brilliant,  divided,  so  that  the  common 
people  might  be  kept  contented  and  the  daimios  might’  be  kept  poor; 
the  Mikado’s  court  isolated,  and  politically  a shadow  ; Buddhism  sub- 
sidized and  used  as  an  engine  of  inquisition  and  despotism;  harlotry 
made  legal,  and  sensualism  encouraged  in  order  to  lull  the  intellect ; 
one  grade  of  people  beneath  and  beyond  the  pale  of  humanity;  the 
mercantile  and  agricultural  classes  with  no  rights  which  the  samurai 
or  sword-wearers  were  bound  to  respect ; with  no  process  of  law  known 
for  the  punishment  of  the  murder  of  people  in  certain  classes,  and 
even  local  government  that  of  “despotism  tempered  by  assassination.” 
In  a word,  Japan  lay  socially  and  politically  in  primitive  barbarism, 
her  civilization  outwardly  glossed  with  art  and  learning,  but  inwardly 
a mass  of  rottenness.  The  two  and  a half  centuries  of  perfect  peace. 


G 


which  the  genius  of  lyeyasfi  had  secured  to  his  country,  had  become 
moral  corruption  and  political  paralysis.  It  was  the  calm  of  ice,  the 
quiet  of  the  stagnant  pool,  not  the  stillness  of  water  that  runs  deep. 

And  yet  the  deeps  were  calling  unto  deep.  Discordant  voices  then, 
they  were  to  be  attuned  into  harmony  by  Him  who  shakes  the  nations 
and  bids  even  the  lightning  return  and  say,  “ here  am  I.”  Let  us 
note  the  forces  that  finally  upheaved  the  old  state  of  things ; for  these 
were  mostly  intellectual,  from  within  and  not  from  without.  The 
schoolmaster  and  the  student  preceded  the  revolutionist  and  the  soldier. 

There  was  first  the  study  of  ancient  history  by  native  scholars,  who 
discerned  that  the  only  fountain  of  authority  was  the  Emporor  in  Kioto, 
and  not  his  lieutenant  in  Yedo;  that  the  camp  was  inferior  to  the 
throne;  that  the  claim  of  the  Mikado’s  vassal,  self-styled  Tycoon 
(great  prince),  to  sign  treaties  was  an  arrogant  fraud,  and  that  the  very 
existence  of  the  government  at  Yedo  was  historically  a usurpation. 
The  mayor  of  the  palace  had  become  de  facto  king,  the  pretorium  had 
overborne  the  emperor,  the  camp  had  usurped  the  prerogatives  of  the 
throne,  the  civil  had  sunk  beneath  the  military  power. 

This  was  the  whisper  of  the  student  in  the  cloister.  It  was  soon 
to  enter  the  touchhole  and  speak  from  the  mouth  of  the  cannon. 

Another  voice  was  uttered  in  the  renascence  of  the  study  of  the 
ancient  classics  of  China.  This  superb  body  of  ethics  is  the  remnant, 
or  so  jnucli  of  the  old  patriarchal  religion  of  primitive  times  as  it 
pleased  the  agnostic  Confucius  to  retain,  after  rejecting  or  minimiz- 
ing the  better  and  more  spiritual  part.  The  Chinese  scholars,  driven 
out  of  their  old  cloisters  by  the  fierce  Manchius  of  the  seventeenth 
centuries,  as  were  the  Greek  scholars  from  Constantinople  by  the  Turks 
in  the  thirteenth,  fled  to  Japan  and  taught  anew  “the  five  relations’’ 
of  man’s  duty  based  on  the  obedience  of  the  inferior  to  the  superior, 
and  especially  of  vassal  to  suzerain.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  to 
Japan  should  come  renascence  in  thought  and  reformation  in  religions 
like  that  which  made  a new  Europe  when  “the  Greek  language  rose 
from  the  dead  with  the  New  Testament  in  her  hand,”  for  Confucuis 
cut  the  top  root  of  progress  when,  eliminating  the  supernatural  from 
the  ancestral  faith,  he  bade  his  countrymen  “honor  the  gods,  but  keep 
them  far  from  you  yet  a new  spirit  of  inquiry,  dangerous  to  usurpa- 
tion, began  to  move  the  heart  and  mind  of  Japanese  thinkers.  The  line 
upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept  of  the  professor  of  ethics  in  the 
class-room  at  last  swelled  into  the  war  cry  of  a nation — “ Dai-gi  iiei- 
bun  — The  King  and  the  Subject  — exalt  the  one,  the  Mikado  ; abase 
the  other,  the  sho-gun.  Let  the  military  serve  the  civil,  the  camp  obey 
the  throne.” 


7 


Another  voice  was  heard  that  rose  from  the  critical  study  of  the 
ancient  native  literature,  and  of  the  primeval  cultus.  The  indigenous 
religion  Shin-to  or  the  doctrine  of  the  gods  makes  the  Mikado  the  vice- 
gerent of  the  heavenly  spirits.  Increase  of  reverence  for  the  throne 
and  ruler  in  Kioto  resulted.  Public  opinion  was  moulded  against  their 
counterfeit  and  imitation  at  Yedo  and  against  Buddhism,  and  in  favor  a 
new  golden  age  in  which,  as  in  the  days  of  old,  the  Mikado  alone  should 
rule.  It  was  the  plea  of  the  heart  and  the  intellect  for  love  as  against 
fear ; for  the  experience  of  centuries  had  lung  before  coined  itself 
into  this  proverb  : ‘‘ The  Mikado  alt  men  love;  the  sho-gun  all  men 

fear.” 

Another  solvent  influence  which  was  to  liquify  old  ideas  into  a com- 
mon menstruum,  out  of  which  the  elementary  basic  forces  of  Japanese 
nature  were  to  re-crystallize  on  new  axes,  was  the  presence  at  Nagasaki 
of  the  Hollanders  and  the  resultant  study  of  the  Dutch  language  by 
native  young  men  eager  for  knowledge.  The  Dutchman  in  Japan  is 
a historic  figure,  cursed  by  some,  abused  by  all,  praised  by  none.  The 
devil  in  him  has  had  even  more  than  his  due,  the  angel  in  him  has  not. 
Much  of  good  did  he  accomplish  for  the  island  empire.  For  centuries 
he  furnished  her  only  intellectual  stimulant.  He  was  the  sole  teacher 
of  medicine,  astronomy  and  science,  to  the  hermit  nation  ; a kindly  ad- 
viser, helper,  guide  and  friend,  the  one  means  of  communication  with 
Europe  and  the  world,  a handful  of  salt  in  a stagnant  mass.  Long  before 
the  United  States  or  Commodore  Perry,  did  the  Hollanders  advise  the 
Yedo  government  in  favor  of  international  intercourse.  The  Dutch 
language  studied  by  eager  young  men  was  a key  which  opened  the 
treasures  of  modern  thought  and  the  world’s  literature.  The  minds  of 
thinking  Japanese  were  thus  made  plastic  for  the  ideas  of  Christendom. 
It  was  the  quickening  influence  of  the  Dutch  that  impelled  noble 
spirits  among  the  Japanese  to  warn  their  country  how  defenseless,  how 
childishly  weak,  how  dangerously  paralytic  the  nation  by  long  seclusion 
had  become.  In  the  teeth  of  torture,  prison  and  decapitation  at  the 
blood-pit,  these  patriots  uttered  their  warning  cry  and  published  their 
knowledge.  Japan  to-day  gratefully  builds  costly  monuments  over  the 
once  neglected  and  even  desecrated  graves,  wreathes  with  garlands  the 
tombs,  enshrines  in  biography  and  enhalos  with  glory  the  names  of 
the  prophet  whom  once  she  slew.  Yet  these  men  were  the  pupils  of  the 
Dutchmen  to  whom  history  yet  shall  do  justice.  It  may  be  that  the 
Hollanders  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness,  yet  they  were  not 
sinners  above  all  people,  and  they  who  have  most  persistently  blackened 
their  character  are  the  intellectual  heirs  of  Alva  and  Philip  II  and 
Loyola.  When  the  storm  of  revolution  broke  in  1868,  the  native  men 


s 

of  the  imperial  party  who  knew  Dutch  were  to  a man  called  to 
responsible  office  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  of  State,  while  those  of 
diverse  political  sympathies  were  speedily  invited  to  lend  the  aid  of 
their  scholarship  in  the  work  of  national  reformation.  These  were 
the  intellectual  forces  at  work  long  before  Perry’s  steamers  made  their 
apparition  in  Yedo  Bay. 

The  introdnction  of  western  civilization  wrought  mightily  to  help, 
but  it  did  not  begin  tlie  revolution  which  has  made  new  Japan.  From 
1853  to  1S6S  these  forces  seethed  and  boiled  beneath  the  crust  of  feudal- 
ism with  their  volcanic  foci  at  Kioto  and  Yedo.  The  presence  of 
foreigners  was  as  the  dropping  of  a pebble  into  a solution  already  super- 
saturated, and  mightily  hastening  results  to  ciystallization.  Steam  and 
steamers  enabled  the  daimios  to  combine  against  the  Tycoon,  to  equip 
their  forts  and  to  tr}'  a campaign  against  him,  and  an  artillery  duel  with 
foreign  ships.  Their  dream  was  first  to  reduce  the  Tycoon  to  his  level  as 
one  of  many  vassals,  to  restore  the  Mikado  to  full  powers,  to  drive  out 
the  aliens,  and  then  dictate  to  and  learn  from  them.  With  the  troops 
from  Yedo  in  moth-eaten  armor  it  was  only  the  old  story  of  long  guns 
against  carronades,  rifles  against  smooth-bores,  bullets  against  arrows ; 
but  in  the  face  of  western  artillery,  it  was  that  of  the  bull  glorying  in 
his  mass  and  horns,  and  measuring;  himself  against  a locomotive. 
Yalor  confronted  by  science  rarely  avails.  At  Shimonoseki  one  Ameri- 
can steamer,  the  Wyoming,  sunk  a small  squadron,  and  an  allied  fleet 
cleared  out  their  batteries  as  with  the  besom  of  destruction. 

The  Japanese  learned  their  lesson  well.  They  broke  the  embargo  of 
ages  and  sent  their  ^mung  men  to  study  in  Europe  and  America,  in 
order  to  learn  the  power  of  the  foreigners  and  the  secrets  of  the  west. 
Henceforth,  with  busy  pen  and  naked  sword  they  plied  their  tasks. 
With  American  rifles  and  western  drill  the  southern  clansmen'  per- 
fected themselves  in  military  evolutions,  until  on  the  27th  of  January, 
1868,  in  the  suburbs  of  Kioto,  at  the  barrier-gate  of  Fushimi,  a few 
hundred  cool  deliberate  men,  strong  in  the  faith  of  science  and  the 
righteousness  of  their  cause;  strong  in  the  belief  that  the  decision  of 
ages  was  at  hand,  opened  their  guns  against  an  advancing  host  of  thirty- 
thousand  men.  Of  the  decisive  battles  of  Asia,  if  not  of  the  world, 
that  of  Fushimi,  January  27,  1868,  must  be  counted  one,  for  then  old 
Japan  fell  and  new  Japan  rose. 

With  the  help  of  such  sinews  of  war  as  British  finance,  American 
fire-arms  and  the  iron-clad  Stonewall,  speedily  furnished,  backed  by 
valor  equal,  and  strategy  superior  to  that  of  their  antagonists,  the  war 
was  nearly  over,  when  a second  gi’oup  of  Rutgers  graduates  appeared 
in  Japan.  The  one  was  the  ever  genial  “ Bob  ” Brown  of  college  days. 


9 


and  the  class  of  ’65,  or  more  officially  Mr.  Robert  Morrison  Brown, 
who  entered  commercial  life,  and  was  for  some  time  consul  in  Japan 
for  Hawaii;  the  other  was  Henry  Helson  Stout,  who  was  located  at 
Hagasaki,  where  he  still  holds  the  fort  as  a toiling  missionary  in  a 
difficult  held.  He  took  the  place  of  Guido  F.  Verbeclc,  the  able  and 
honored  missionary  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  America,  who  had  been 
called  to  Tokio,  the  national  capital,  and  made  superintendent  of  the 
imperial  University. 

These  saw  Mutsuhito  the  123rd  Mikado  enthroned,  Keiki,  the 
last  of  the  Tycoons,  exiled,  and  the  center  of  authority  shifted  from 
Kioto  to  Yedo  now  officially  and  popularly  named  Tokio,  the  treaties 
ratified  by  the  Mikado,  new  ports  opened  to  foreign  commerce,  and  the 
grand  era  of  change  and  progress,  which  has  astonished  the  world, 
begun.  Eager  for  adventure.  Brown  was  one  of  the  first  to  traverse 
the  country  and  try  life  on  the  western  coast  at  Niigata. 

So  far,  however,  the  signs  of  progress  in  New  Japan  were  confined 
to  the  sea  ports  and  capital ; but  with  the  restoration  of  the  Mikado  to 
supreme  power  and  the  government  to  monarchy,  the  daimios  were 
given  permission  to  employ  foreign  teachers,  chemists,  geologists  and 
military  instructors  in  their  dominions.  Education  was  declared  unre- 
stricted and  the  interior  was  opened  to  the  science  of  the  west.  Liberty 
to  travel  abroad  was  granted  and  young  Japanese  now  flocked  to  our 
shores,  and  entered  our  schools;  providentially  they  were  led  to  New 
Brunswick.  Few  completed  a full  course  of  study  according  to  our 
curriculum,  yet  we  remember  how  eager  for  knowledge,  how  consum- 
ingly  thirsty  for  science,  some  of  these  earnest  lads  were.  Willow 
Grove  cemetery  here  in  New  Brunswick,  the  shotted  shroud  at  sea, 
and  many  a quiet  dell  under  the  camphor  trees  in  beautiful  Japan,  tell 
the  story  liow  all  too  soon,  many  were  laid  on  sleep.  Others  lived  to 
honor  Rutgers,  and  to  do  noble  service  for  their  country.  Of  these, 
“ Matsmulla,”  “ Nagai,”  “ Soogiwoora,”  “ Asahi,”  “ Takaki,”  “ Hattori,” 
are  among  the  names  most  easily  recalled.  Speaking  in  general  terms, 
I think  it  may  be  said  that  the  Japanese  educated  ai  New  Brunswick 
have  honored  their  teachers  and  have  been  found  on  the  right  side  of 
the  great  questions  which  enter  into  the  life  of  men  and  of  nations. 

Prominent  among  the  leading  daimios  who  had  taken  part  in  the 
coup  d’etat  at  Kioto,  January  3,  1868,  which  had  upset  the  old,  and 
set  up  the  new  order  of  things,  was  Matsudaira,  lord  of  the  province  of 
Echizen.  Taking  immediate  advantage  of  the  situation,  he  applied  to 
l)r.  Yerbeck  for  a teacher  of  science  at  Fukui,  the  capital  of  his  fief  or 
principality.  Directly  and  indiretly,  this  was  the  means  of  bringing 
out  from  Rutgers  college  three  more  alumni,  two  members  of  the  class 
2 


10 


\ 


of  ’69  and  one  of  ’71.  Yoni'  speaker  went  as  pioneer  of  this  new 
gi’oup,  and  the  first  American  to  live  inside  the  country  beyond  treaty 
ports.  He  is,  perhaps,  the  only  white  man  living  who  has  seen  from 
the  inside  the  Japanese  feudal  system  in  its  detail,  its  fulness,  its  glory 
and  its  fall.  Leaving  the  nineteenth  century  for  the  fourteenth,  he 
looked  daily  for  seven  months  upon  a political  system  and  social  life 
never  again  to  appear  on  the  earth;  and  then,  on  that  memorable  Sab- 
bath morning  of  October  1,  1871,  in  the  great  castle  hall,  saw  the  five 
thousand  armed  warriors  and  gentlemen,  the  two-sworded  retainers  of 
the  princely  house  of  Echizen,  bid  solemn  farewell  to  their  feudal  lord, 
who  stepped  forth  a private  citizen,  and  they  from  rank  and  hereditary 
emolument  to  hard  work  and  self  support.  They  beheld  feudal  insti- 
tutions, after  a thousand  years  of  growth  and  seven  hundred  of  power 
and  embodiment,  buried  under  a pen-stroke  of  the  Mikado.  In  other  of 
the  nearly  three  hundred  feudal  sections  of  the  empire,  the  proud  men 
of  hereditaiy  privilege  and  rank  refused  thus  calmly  to  obey.  They 
took  up  the  sword,  and  they  perished  by  the  breech-loader. 

Before  leaving  Echizen,  after  one  year’s  stay  and  toil,  the  Rutgers 
graduate  at  Fukui  had  called  out  Edward  Warren  Clark,  of  the  class  of 
1869,  and  Martin  N.  Wyckoff,  of  the  class  of  1872.  The  former  organ- 
ized a school  at  Shidzuoka  in  Suruga,  called  by  himself  “ The  St. 
Helena  of  Tycoonism.”  There  dwelt  the  last  of  the  line  of  Yedo 
sho-guns,  surrounded  by  many  of  his  old  court  who,  from  being  mag- 
nates in  power,  had  become  private  citizens.  Wyckoff,  after  two 
years  of  labor  in  Fukui,  and  two  more  in  Niigata  came,  as  did  Clark 
later  on,  to  Tokio  ; for  the  fall  of  feudalism,  though  in  the  end  bene- 
ficial to  the  nation,  was  at  first  destructive  to  local  interests,  especially 
to  the  schools  of  the  old  foundation,  organized  under  the  auspices  of 
the  daimios.  At  one  time  we  had  no  fewer  than  seven  Rutgers  grad- 
uates in  Japan,  together  with  our  dear  professor,  David  Murray,  the 
superintendent  of  schools  and  colleges  in  Japan. 

In  the  fourth  and  latest  group  of  Rutgers  alumni  in  the  Mikado’s 
empire  are  to  be  found  Eugene  S.  Booth,  of  the  class  of  ’76,  who  is  now 
in  charge  of  the  Ferris  Seminary  at  Yokohama,  N.  H.  Demarest,  of 
the  class  of  ’80,  at  Nagasaki,  Howard  Harris,  of  the  class  of  ’73,  now 
in  Tokio  and  M.  N.  Wyckoff  who,  alter  a four  years’  stay  in  the  United 
States,  returned  to  Japan,  and  is  now  principal  of  the  Sandham  Acad 
emy,  the  Christian  Union  College  of  Tokio.  He  has  taught  not  only 
Japanese,  but  Coreans  ; seven  of  these  sons  of  Cho-sen  have  been  under 
his  own  or  his  wife’s  instructions.  No  graduate  of  Rutgers  has  yet 
entered  the  Land  of  Morning  Calm,  though  the  Rev.  Horace  Underwood 
who  was  trained  in  the  New  Brunswick  Theological  Seminary,  is  now 


11 


a missionary  in  Seoul.  All  in  this  latest  group  of  Rutgers  men  are, 
with  Ballagh  and  Stout,  missionaries  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
America,  engaged  in  laying  the  foundation  of  a new  Christian  nation 
in  Asia. 

Of  the  Japanese  who  were  fellow-students  with  us,  or  who  were 
graduated  from  our  olma  mater  — the  ministers  of  Christ,  and  the 
envoys  of  the  Mikado,  the  rear  admiral,  the  high  officers  of  the  govern- 
ment and  the  men  eminent  or  useful  in  politics,  finance,  science,  educa- 
tion and  commercial  life,  we  cannot  here  speak. 


The  Rutgers  graduate  of  ‘ 69  during  those  three  years  spent  by  him 
in  the  new  capital,  Tokio,  saw,  knew,  talked  with,  studied  the  leading 
men  of  New  Japan.  Let  us  glance  at  a few. 

The  first  whom  he  met  in  Tokio  was  Muneiiori  Terashima,  for 
many  years  the  Mikado’s  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  and  later  his  en- 
voy at  the  Court  of  St.  James  and  at  Washington.  Though  of  gentle 
blood  and  highly  educated,  he  went  when  a young  man  to  Nagasaki, 
and  became  a stevedore  and  laborer,  unloading  Dutch  vessels  and  under- 
going menial  toil  that  he  might  master  a European  language  and  the 
ways  of  the  foreigners.  Coming  to  the  front  in  the  revolution,  he  knew 
the  good  and  the  evil,  and  could  measure  both  the  bluster  and  the 
abilities  of  each  member  of  the  diplomatic  corps.  He  possessed  the 
masterful  faculty  of  holding  his  tongue  in  several  languages,  and  biding 
his  time  until  opportunity  came.  At  a council  of  the  ministers  he 
could  sit  all  day,  quiet  as  a lamb,  yet  as  a tiger  crouching,  gathering  all 
his  strength  for  a final  spring  that  would  bear  down  all  opposition. 
No  man  more  than  he  understood  how  to  wield  the  weapon  of  silence. 
Jealous  to  the  last  degree  of  the  prestige  of  the  central  government, 
he  struck  out  of  the  contract  with  Echizen  the  word  “ government  ” and 
substituted  “local  authorities.”  The  same  jealous  feeling  of  statecraft 
rather  than  religious  convictions  or  intolerant  bigotry  led  him  to  pro- 
pose a clause  forbidding  the  teaching  of  Christianity.  The  Rutgers 
graduate  of  ’69  refused  to  have  any  dictation  in  this  matter  or  in  that 
in  regard  to  absolute  Sabbath  rest.  Terashima  waived  the  points,  and 
without  fuss  or  sensation  in  American  nevvspapers,  religious  or  other- 
wise, the  Rutgers  graduate,  after  a dinner  with  a half  dozen  daimios, 
disappeared  in  the  interior,  having  compromised  naught  of  faith 
character  or  patriotism.  Later,  when  the  director  of  the  Imperial  Uni- 
versity in  Tdkio,  attempted  to  compel  the  American  teachers  to  ply 
their  tasks  on  Simday,  the  answer  of  the  Rutgers  graduate  was,  “not 
for  ten  thousand  dollars  a month,”  and  his  prompt  organization  of  resist- 


12 


anceinto  compact  imity.  When  obedience  under  coercion,  with  the  alter- 
native of  being  cashiered,  was  presented,  the  Rutgers  graduate  with  the 
Japanese  “ Soogiwoora’’  (Hatakeyama)  made  a call  upon  the  prime  min- 
ister, and  stated  the  facts.  The  bullying  director  was  transferred  to 
another  field  of  labor,  and  the  men  from  Christendom  were  left  without 
compromise  of  character  or  convictions.  The  Rutgers  graduates  lived  to 
see  the  Japanese  themselves  observe  the  great  law  of  one  day  in  the  week 
for  rest,  not  only  in  all  the  schools,  but  also  in  the  government  offices ; 
while  over  forty  thousand  day-schools  in  active  operation,  on  the 
American  systems,  testify  to  the  sincerity  of  the  Japanese  belief  that 
“education  is  the  basis  of  ])rogress.” 

The  prime  minister  referred  to  was  Iwakura  Tomomi,  whose  three 
sons  Asahi,  Minami  and  Tatsu  were  educated  at  New  Brunswick. 

The  composite  government  now  ruling  Japan  was  made  upon  the 
theory  of  a union  of  the  throne  with  the  people,  without  any  of  inter- 
mediaries except  the  court  nobles  of  imperial  blood  and  descent.  Hence 
there  stood  together  high-souled  parvenus,  and  blue-blooded  magnates 
of  immemorial  lineage  — the  strength  of  youth  united  to  the  majesty 
of  antiquity.  Beneath  these  two  groups,  the  daimios  or  territorial 
feudal  nobles  — men,  as  a rule,  of  no  personal  importance  — sank  out 
of  sight. 

On  the  one  side,  then,  we  saw  Sanjo  Sanfyoshi  and  Iwakura  Tomomi 
companions  of  the  throne  and  the  Mikado  ; and  on  the  other,  able  men 
sprung  from  the  people,  Saigo,  Okubo,  Xido,  Katsu,  Itagaki  and  many 
others.  Let  us  draw  a pen  picture  of  some  of  them. 

Of  Sanjo,  still  living,  we  say  nothing  but  praise,  but  pass  to  Iwakura, 
well  named  “Rock-throne,”  and  fitly  called  the  “Bismarck  of  Japan.” 
A personal  attendant  upon  the  emperor  in  Kioto,  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
he  began  openly  to  oppose  the  assumptions  of  the  Yedo  usurpation 
which  to  him  was  but  an  exaggerated  repetition  of  previous  thefts  of 
power.  He  ridiculed  the  title  of  Tycoon  or  “ great  prince  ” used  in 
the  treaty  documents.  He  hated  all  foreigners,  though  he  never  saw 
one  until  lie  was  over  forty  years  old.  Five  minutes’  sight  of  Sir  Harry 
Parkes,  the  British  envoy,  converted  him,  and  henceforth  he  believed  in 
their  humanity,  equality  and  abilities;  though  when  they  met  this  man 
in  diplomacy,  they  found  him,  who  from  childhood  had  been  a recluse 
at  court,  their  match.  Having  ever  the  overthrow  of  duarchy  and 
feudalism  in  view,  he  made  himself  the  willing  instrument  in  the  palace 
of  the  plans  of  the  revolutionists.  He  sent  his  sons  to  learn  of  the 
teacher  from  the  New  World,  at  Nagasaki,  Guido  Yerbeck,  and  then 
later  to  New  Brunswick.  He  prevailed  upon  the  Mikado  to  sign  the 
treaties.  The  revolution  of  1868,  which  sifted  the  pretensions  of 


13 


great  names, found  him  the  foremost  man  for  the  new  age  among  all  the 
court  nobility. 

It  was  he,  who  after  Kido’s  memorial,  saw  that  the  iron  was  at  white 
heat,  and  neiwed  the  imperial  right  hand  to  strike;  and  the  framework 
of  feudalism  turned  as  clay  on  the  potter’s  wheel.  It  was  he  who,  when 
opportunity  again, like  a flame,  softened  the  national  heart  as  wax,  bade 
the  Mikado  with  his  divine  prestige  stamp  it  and  give  to  the  fusing  mass 
of  sectionalism  the  express  image  of  a nation.  At  each  issue  of  an  imper- 
ial mandate  wliich  pulverized  ancient  abuses, dazed  even  his  own  follow- 
ers, and  enraged  the  adherents  of  the  old  regime,  Iwakura  having 
counted  tl'.e  cost  was  ready  to  shed  blood,  and  expected  to  doit.  He 
planned  and  carried  out  the  embassy  round  the  world,  whose  supreme  ob- 
ject was  to  obtain  ihe  erasure  of  the  odious  extraterritoriality  clause  from 
the  treaties.  Utterly  fearless  of  all  personal  consequences,  he  defied 
alike  the  swords  of  the  assassins,  and  the  curses  of  the  priests.  Emerging 
scathless  from  repeated  attempts  on  his  life,  after  a giant’s  work,  he 
died  quietly  in  his  bed.  The  Rutgers  graduate  of  ’69  present  at  a 
dinner  given  by  Iwakura  at  his  house  near  the  palace,  heard  an 
American  lady  asked  what  most  impressed  him  when  in  America. 
His  answer  quickly  given  was  “ the  strength  of  the  central  govern- 
ment at  Washington.”  As  of  all  the  natural  wonders  from  the  Pacific 
to  Atlantic,  none  melted  his  high  bred  dignity  into  wreathes  of  smiles 
and  transports  of  childlike  joy  save  the  greatest,  Niagara,  so  in  things 
social  and  political,  nothing  so  moved  this  man  of  courts  and  of  Asiatic 
despotism,  this  believer  in  a divinely  descended  Mikado,  this  central- 
izing Bismarck  of  Japan,  as  that  picture  of  unity  under  freedom,  that 
reality  of  mountain-like  stability  amid  fluctuation  of  opinions,  and  of 
that  flexible  but  invincible  arm  of  steel  at  Washington  moved  by  the 
will  of  a free  people.  Wonder  of  wonders  to  him,  this  was  in  a repub- 
lic. It  ceases  to  be  a marvel  then  that  Iwakura  returned  to  Japan 
with  a transcendently  noble  purpose  to  educate,  enrich,  u{)lift  his  peo- 
ple so  that  his  beloved  country  might  become  peer  to  the  nations  of 
Christendom.  This  explains  why  this  man  of  blood  and  iron  so  loved 
peace,  so  loved  schools,  and  so  opposed  aggressive  war,  idleness,  in- 
justice, persecution  for  religion’s  sake  and  all  that  in  enlightened  eyes 
stunts  a nation’s  growth. 

Let  us  look  now  to  the  men  of  the  people — “self-made,”  an 
American  would  say^  — able  high-motived  heroes  sprung  from  the  rank 
and  file.  There  was  Saigo,  the  heart  and  sword  of  the  revolution, 
whose  voice  was  a battalion,  whose  presence  was  an  army,  who  led  his 
disciplined  lads  against  hosts,  and  with  his  sword  carved  the  way  for 
men  of  the  pen.  Would  you  call  him  the  Grant  of  Japan  ? Yes,  in 


u 


splendid  physical  presence,  a more  than  Grant,  in  courage,  persistence, 
inborn  military  genius,  wisdom  and  manifested  skill  in  concentration 
of  purpose  and  winning  personal  qualities,  a Grant ; but  in  after  con- 
duct, a Robert  Lee  rather.  Like  many  other  revolutionists  who  rouse 
the  sleeping  energies  of  a nation  only  to  see  these  rush  beyond  their 
power  to  curb,  the  movement  of  1868  exceeded  his  wishes,  his  expecta- 
tions and  his  control.  Calhouns  and  Jefferson  Davises  there  are  in 
Japan  as  with  us,  and  the  doctrine  of  State  rights  in  its  most  radical 
and  venemous  form,  strengthened  by  too  easily  believed  misrepresenta- 
tions of  his  old  comrades  in  Tokio,  led  Saigo  to  take  up  the  sword  of 
Lee.  Saigo  the  younger  faced  Saigo  the  elder,  brother  against  brother, 
and  Japan  entered  into  a struggle  for  life.  The  “ Satsuma  rebellion  ” 
of  1877  cost  the  nation  seven  months  of  civil  war,  twenty-five  thousand 
lives  and  one  hundred  million  of  dollars.  Steam,  electricity  and 
modern  artillery  enabled  Japan  to  maintain  her  existence,  and  the  last 
of  her  many  rebellions  in  the  interest  of  reaction  and  the  irrevocable 
past  finds  her  to-day  stronger  than  ever  in  national  unity.  In  what 
Saigo  failed,  none  other  will  attempt  to  lead. 

Of  all  the  Japanese  pre-eminent  in  the  marvellous  restoration  period, 
from  1868  to  1877,  the  most  European  looking,  thinking,  and  acting  of 
all  was  Okubo.  He  was  the  interpreter  of  the  West  to  the  East.  Like 
Saigo,  he  was  a man  of  Satsuma,  and  had  been  nourished  in  the  tradi- 
tions of  undying  jealousy  and  hatred  of  the  Yedo  system.  He  became 
early  interested  in  that  literary  movement,  whose  goal  was  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Mikado  to  ancient  undivided  authority.  He  too  served 
behind  the  cannon  when  the  British  bombarded  Kagoshima.  At 
Kioto  he  aided  to  precipitate  the  crisis  of  six  hundred  years,  urged  the 
unfurling  of  the  Mikado’s  brocade  banner  of  chastisement  which 
stamped  the  Tycoon  as  a rebel,  demanded  the  removal  of  the  capital  to 
Yedo,  and  plead  that  the  divine  emperor  should  come  outfrom  beyond 
the  bamboo  screens,  stand  on  the  earth  and  be  the  visible  actual  ruler 
of  his  people.  These  daring  proposals  were  carried  out,  and  thencefor- 
ward the  name  of  Okubo  is  imperishably  associated  with  the  long  list 
of  reforms  which  have  changed  the  insular  empire  of  Japan  from  an 
agglomeration  of  feudal  principalities  into  a compact  modern  state.  In 
his  visits  to  America  and  Europe,  that  strong  dash  of  the  Caucasian  in 
his  nature  became  an  ordered  but  irresistible  force.  Whether  as  envoy 
to  China  before  the  dragon-throne  where  the  tiny  nation  from  the 
giant  empire  demanded  and  obtained  justice,  on  the  battle-fields,  or  at 
the  tribunals  which  decided  the  fate  of  reactionary  secession,  Okubo  was 
ever  the  lion-hearted.  His  goal  was  united  enlightened  Japan — a 
nation  in  all  things  and  peer  even  to  England  or  the  United  States. 


15 


On  the  night  of  the  13th  of  May,  1878,  having  been  warned  of  his  im- 
pending assassination  by  fanatics  who  hated  his  progressive  policy,  he 
expressed  before  a party  of  friends  his  belief  in  the  decree  of  Heaven 
that  wonld  protect  him  if  his  work  were  done,  but  which  otherwise 
would  permit  his  death,  even  tliough  lie  were  surrounded  by  soldiers. 
The  next  day,  while  unarmed  in  broad  daylight,  he  was  hacked  to  pieces 
by  the  swords  of  six  assassins,  runaways  from  the  rebellion  put  down 
six  months  before.  Thus  died  one  of  the  ablest  men  Japan  ever  -pro- 
duced. The  Rutgers  graduate  remembers  many  a personal  interview 
with  him,  especially  the  last,  when  out  of  his  piercing  black  eye,  out  of 
his  heart  as  well  as  his  mouth,  he  uttered  thanks  for  service  done  in 
education,  begged  that  the  meaning  of  the  revolution  in  Japan  might 
be  explained  to  the  American  people,  and  wished  that  heaven  would 
enlighten  his  own  people  as  to  the  necessity  of  national  unity  and  the 
duties  of  the  hour  and  the  age. 

Nor  must  we  forget  to  mention  another  figure  prominent  in  the 
great  war  and  reconstruction  period.  If  Saigo  was  the  heart  and 
sword  of  the  revolution  and  Okubo  its  educator,  Kido  was  its  brain  and 
pen.  He  too  was  almost  American  in  his  boyish  appearance.  He  too 
tried  odds,  behind  the  cannon,  with  the  allied  fleet  at  Shimonoseki. 
There  he  was  converted  to  the  idea  of  the  superiority  of  foreigners, 
and  the  impossibility  of  their  expulsion  from  Japan.  He  was  the 
author  of  that  address  to  the  emperor,  purporting  to  come  from  the 
four  great  daimios  of  Satsuma,  Hizen,  Tosa  and  Cho-shiu,  which  pro- 
posed, and  through  Okubo  and  Iwakura,  resulted  in  the  abolition  of 
the  feudal  system,  and  the  I’etirement  to  private  life  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy  daimios,  who  relinquished  their  lands,  incomes,  and  the 
roster  of  their  military  retainers  to  the  central  government.  He 
founded  the  first  newspaper,  and  the  first  local  assembly  or  legislature, 
and  took  those  initiatory  steps  which  have  culminated  in  the  promise 
of  the  Mikado  to  call  a parliament  and  establish  a representative  govern- 
ment in  1890.  Of  pre-eminent  political  genius,  stainless  life  and  gentle 
manners,  his  death  was  deplored  by  a nation. 

Time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  all  the  members  of  that  wonderful  group 
of  men  which  the  train  of  events,  beginning  even  before  Perry’s  arrival 
called  out  Foreign  influences  excited,  compelled  change,  but  never 
could  have  created  such  men  for  the  hour  — true  children  of  Japan,  yet 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  They  were  fitted  to  accomplish  what  no  for 
eigners  could  even  attempt,  and  they  did  it.  Surely  the  page  of  history 
presents  few  such  records  of  the  regeneration  of  a nation  in  so  short  a 
time.  The  rubbish  has  been  cleared  away,  and  the  foundations  laid  on 
wdiich  Christianity  is  now  building  her  stately  temple.  The  Rutgers 


graduates  in  Japan  raay  yet  live  to  see  a once  Asiatic  despotism  and 
pagan  liermitage  become  a constitutional  monarchy  and  a Christian 
nation. 

A few  words  in  summary  of  the  period  from  1868  to  1885 : 

What  a brilliant  panorama,  yet  full  of  shadow  as  well  as  of  light, 
does  our  theme  call  up.  We  look  again  on  men  who  from  being 
hermits  enieiged  with  swwd  and  pen  to  carve  out  the  victories  of 
war  and  of  peace;  Avho  tore  down,  but  who  built  up;  who  faced 
oppressor  and  rebel  in  the  field,  and  vanquished  both ; who  bearded 
China  in  Formosa,  while  they  crushed  the  war  spirit  of  the  fili- 
bustering braves  at  home;  who  won  a ‘‘ brain-victory  ” over  the  in- 
sulting Coreans  ; who  paid  over  the  money-bags  of  “indemnity”  to 
the  greedy  diplomats  from  Christian  courts  rather  than  yield  honor 
and  the  nation’s  right ; who  freed  the  slave-like  Etas  or  pariahs ; who 
broke  the  fetters  of  caste  ; who  reduced  the  burden  of  taxation  on  the 
soil  and  distributed  the  load  on  all  classes ; who  unsworded  the 
swaggering  bullies  and  commuted  the  hereditary  pensions  of  the 
idlers;  Avho  gave  women  rights  before  the  law;  who  founded  public 
schools,  mails,  light-houses,  railroads,  national-banks,  a Tiational  army 
and  navj' ; who  laid  the  foundations  of  constitutional  monarcliy  and 
representative  government ; who  first  persecuted  and  then,  as  they 
w'ere  enlightened,  ceased  to  persecute,  and  finally  granted  toleration  to 
Christianity.  With  all  their  faults  and  mistakes,  their  record  is  noble, 
and  the  work  done  in  seventeen  years  makes  brilliant  the  page  of  his- 
tory for  all  time. 

The  leading  men  of  Japan  ! How  their  faces  gleam  before  us  as 
w’e  write ! Some  were  handsome  and  of  noble  bearing,  some  were  ill 
favored  and  ugly,  some  were  tall  and  lion-like  in  their  imposing 
personal  bearing,  some  were  boyish  and  diminutive  in  figure.  What 
if  they  all  did  have  the  “Mongolian”  cast  of  feature!  It  was  not 
this  we  saw,  it  was  the  splendid  courage,  the  quenchless  love  of  coun- 
try, the  panting  ambition,  the  unquailing  fire  of  the  spirit,  the  patience 
and  the  perseverance  that  conquer  all  things.  We  count  it  an  honor 
to  have  known  and  talked  with  such  heroes.  In  the  face  of  misunder- 
standing at  home,  the  opposition  of  a bigoted  priesthood  and  a peasantry 
steeped  in  superstition,  and  of  a proud  warrior  class;  in  the  teeth  of 
the  opposition  bred  of  the  eager  and  selfish  rivalry  of  foreign  diplom- 
acy ; in  defiant  scorn  of  the  contemptuous  wrath  of  conservative  China 
and  wasp-like  Corea;  worse  than  all,  in  spite  of  their  own  mistakes 
and  ignorance,  they  have  pressed  nobly  forward  to  the  goal  — the 
equality  of  Japan,  real  as  well  as  professed,  before  all  the  world. 

Iwakura,  Hiroswa,  Okubo,  Kido,  the  mighty  heroes  of  the  revolu- 


17 


tion,  Kawaji,  the  loyal  hero  ; Sameshima,  the  brilliant  young  diplomat ; 
Hatakeyama  the  interpreter,  scholar,  Christian  — all  these  are  dead. 
Assassination,  as  of  Lincoln  and  Garfield,  laid  some  in  untimely 
graves;  the  overworking  of  delicate  frames  caused  others  to  fall  on 
sleep  too  soon  for  their  country’s  good.  Enomoto,  Ito,  Inouye,  Itagaki, 
Fukuzawa,  Katsu,  Kuroda,  Niishima,  Nakamura,  Terashima,  Moiu,  Oki, 
Soyeshima,  Tanaka,  Yoshida — these  are  all  living,  toiling  yet.  They 
are  leaders  indeed,  in  government,  finance,  education,  Christian  effort, 
military  skill,  journalism,  diplomacy,  and  in  the  various  relations  of 
complex  national  life. 

Japan  has  yet  a rugged  road  before  her.  Her  public  men  make 
many  mistakes.  Human  selfishness  and  low  passions  have  their  place 
among  the  men  of  Japan  as  among  those  in  America,  with  pagans  as 
with  so-called  “ Christian  statesmen  but  with  the  spirit  of  the  men 
of  ’68,  yet  living  and  at  work,  there  is  hope  for  Japan.  We  speak  as 
men,  humanly.  In  the  public  life  of  Japan  the  element  of  personal 
religion,  loyalty  to  Christ,  as  well  as  unbelief  in  Shinto  and  Budd- 
hism and  superstitution,  is  increasing  ; and  in  the  increase  of  such  men 
— Christians  at  heart,  and  increasingly  Christian  in  life — - we  see 
bright  rays  of  promise.  Japan,  which  having  emerged  from  the  cocoon 
woven  by  centuries  of  seclusion  has  yet  to  escayoe  the  dangerous  lights 
of  bankruptcy,  nihilism  and  agnosticism. 

3 


» 


NOTES  AND  APPENDICES- 


I.  THE  RUTGERS  GRADUATES  IH  JAPAN. 


Name. 


Class. 


Place. 


Robert  H.  Pruyu 

James  H.  Ballagb 

Henry  Nelson  Stout 

Robert  Morrison  Brown, 
William  Elliot  Griffis  . . 
Edward  Warren  Clark. 

Martin  N.  Wyckoff. . .. 


1833 

18.57 

1865 

1865 

1869 

1869 


1872 


Yedo 

Yokohama 

Nagasaki 

Niigata  ) 

Yokohama  C 

Fukui  } 

Tokio  ( 

Sbidzuoka  ) 

Tokio 
Fukui  ) 

Niigata}-  


Howard  Harris. 


1873 


Tokio  1 
Yokohama . 


Eugene  S.  Booth 

N.  H.  Demarest 

Ichizo  Hattori 

Seiichi  Kudo 

Tadanari  Matsiidaira. 


1876 

1880 

1871 

1878 

1879 


Nagasaki  | 

Yokohama  ) 

Nagasaki 

Tokio 

Tokio 


Time  in  Japan 


1861-1865 

1861- 

1869- 

1866- 

1870- 1874 

1871- 1875 


1872-1877 

1881-1884 


1879- 

1884- 


Diivicl  Murray  (Union,  ^52),  Professor  of  mathematics  and  astronomy 
in  Rutgers  College  from  1865  to  1873,  arrived  in  Japan  June  30,  1873; 
left  to  attend  the  Centennial  Exposition  at  Philadelphia  in  charge  of 
educational  .iffairs,  October  12,  1875  ; arrived  in  Japan  on  his  return, 
December  26,  1876  ; and  left  finally  January  23,  1879.  He  was  coun- 
selor to  the  department  of  education  in  Tokio,  and  general  superintend- 
ent of  schools  and  colleges  in  Japan;  supervised  the  publication  of 
“Outline  History  of  Education  in  Japan,”  p^igTs  202.  N.  Y.,  D.  Ap- 
pleton & Co.,  1876.  On  his  departure  from  Japan,  in  acknowledgment 
of  his  services,  the  Mikado,  after  granting  him  audience,  bestowed  his 
thanks  personally,  and  awarded  the  decoration  of  the  third  class  Order 
of  Merit,  while  the  Department  of  Education  made  him  a present  of 
$1,500.  Dr.  Murray  is  now  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the 
University  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Albany,  N.  Y. 


20 


II.  THE  JAPANESE  STUDENTS  IN  EUROPE  AND  AMERICA. 

lu  answer  to  inquiries  addressed  to  the  minister  of  education  in  Japan, 
after  the  address  was  delivered,  the  following  facts  have  been  elicited  : 

From  causes  easily  understood,  no  complete  record  of  Japanese  young 
men  studying  abroad  since  the  opening  of  the  empire  to  foreign  inter- 
course has  been  kept,  but  from  the  year  1865  to  the  year  1884,  the  num- 
ber known  to  have  spent  more  or  less  time  in  Europe  and  America  as 
students,  exclusive  of  commissioners,  travelers  or  tourists,  is  594. 

Between  the  years  1875  and  1884,  the  number  of  Japanese  graduated 
from  colleges  in  the  United  States  is  9. 

The  above  includes  only  those  sent  at  government  expense  ; probably 
an  equal  number  otherwise  supported  were  also  graduated  in  full  course. 

The  number  of  those  wiio  studied  iu  the  United  States  and  are  now 
known  to  be  in  the  public  service  of  Japan  is  35. 

The  2:)lan  of  sending  students  to  complete  their  course  of  education 
in  foreign  countries  is  still  pursued  as  in  former  years,  but  on  a smaller 
scale  and  in  a wiser  and  more  systematic  way.  The  number  of  sudents 
under  the  care  of  the  department  of  education,  who,  after  several  years 
preparatory  study  in  the  Imperial  University  of  Tokio,  had  gone  abroad 
and  after  completing  courses  of  study  during  four  or  five  years,  returned 
to  Japan  by  October,  1884,  is  30. 

Most  of  these  thirty  students  were  pupils  in  Japan  of  the  Rutgers 
graduates  of  ’69,  and  had  graduated  from  the  Tokio  University,  thus  com- 
pleting at  home  and  abroad  a ten  years’  course.  Their  special  studies 
were  in  law,  chemistry,  engineering,  mining,  etc.  They  were  located  as 
follows ; 


United  States 9 

England 8 

France 5 

Germany 5 

England  and  Germany 3 


Of  these  thirty,  after  their  arrival  home,  up  to  October,  1884,  two  had 
died,  three  were  in  the  office  of  foreign  affairs,  sixteen  were  professors 
in  the  University  of  Tokio  or  connected  with  the  education  department, 
nine  were  civil  or  mining  engineers,  and  one  was  a judge.  The  record 
of  their  degrees,  diplomas,  prizes  and  rewards  gained  in  competition  with 
European  and  American  students  is  an  extremely  brilliant  one.  Of  the 
students  sent  abroad  from  February  15,  and  still  at  their  studies  up  to 
October  17,  1884,  the  number  was  23. 

All  these  latter  are  full  graduates  of  the  Imperial  University  of  Tdkio, 
iu  medicine,  law,  mining,  engineering,  etc.,  and  will  complete  a term  of 
three  vears  abroad.  The  countries  chosen  are  : 


United  States 1 

England 1 

Germany 21 


21 


In  addition  to  the  above  who  are  supported  by  the  department  of  edu- 
cation, there  have  been  and  are  in  the  United  States  and  Europe  smaller 
numbers  of  Japanese  students  pursuing  collegiate,  scientific  or  theologi- 
cal courses  at  private  expense.  As  a rule  the  health  of  those  now  leaving 
home  is  now  much  better  than  in  former  years,  and  the  mortality  is 
much  less.  A considerable  number  of  young  men  have  been  sent  for 
limited  periods  of  study  since  1868,  under  the  auspices  of  other  depart- 
ments besides  that  of  education.  It  is  supposed  that  at  least  3,000  Jap- 
anese have  studied  civilization  of  Christendom. 

III.  JAPANESE  STUDENTS  IN  RUTGEKS  COLLEGE. 


Name  as  Recorded. 

Class. 

Course. 

Entered. 

Left. 

Toro  Kusakabe 

1870 

Scientific. 

1867 

December,  1869 

Zun  Zow  Matsmiilla 

1871 

Scientific. 

1868 

June,  1869 

John  Wesley  Iwoske  Nagai . . . 

1871 

Scientific. 

1868 

December,  1868 

Ko  Zo  Soogiwoora 

1871 

Scientific. 

1868 

June,  1869 

Icby  Zo  Hattori 

1875 

Scientific. 

1871 

Graduated  June,  1875 

Sbumma  Shirane 

1875 

Scientific. 

1871 

One  term 

Nagateru  Yasujiro  Outska .... 

1876 

Classical  , 

1872 

April,  1874 

Yasutaro  Kara 

1877 

Scientific. 

1873 

No  record 

Zen  Kicliy  Ongawa 

1877 

Scientific. 

1873 

No  record 

Yoshio  Obswa 

1877 

Scientific. 

1873 

No  record 

Kanicliero  Taku 

1877 

Scientific . 

1874 

April,  1873 

Sei  Ichi  Kudo 

1878 

Classical  . 

1874 

Graduated  June,  1878 

Tadanari  Matsdaira 

1879 

Scientific . 

1875 

Graduated  .June,  1879 

Kojiro  Matsugata 

1889 

Hope 

Scientific . 

College 

1885 

Motoitero  Oligimi 

1879 

Classical  . 

1875 

Graduated  June,  1879 

Kumage  Kimura 

1879 

Classical  . 

1875 

Graduated  June,  1879 

IV.  PERSONAL  NOTICES. 

The  following  personal  notices  of  Japanese  who  have  studied  at  New 
Brunswick,  N.  J.,  or  Holland,  Mich.,  are  made  up  from  various  sources 
including  personal  recollections.  As  the  fashion  now  increasingly  preva- 
lent among  the  progressive  men  in  Japan  is  to  follow  our  method,  and 
write  the  family  name  last,  we  shall  so  arrange  them,  adding  also  the 
cognomen  under  which  they  were  known  when  among  us,  wherever  it 
differs  from  their  true  name.  Many  other  Japanese  young  men  besides 
those  mentioned  here  were  in  New  Brunswick  for  a greater  or  smaller 
period,  whose  names  are  not  now  recalled. 

Sataro  Ise,  born  in  Kumamoto,  Higo,  was  the  first  Japanese  student 
in  New  Brunswick.  He  studied  at  the  Grammar  school  during  a few 
months,  and  then  entered  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  but  failed 
to  pass  the  examinations.  “ He  went  home  deeply  chagrined  and  died 
soon  after.” 


22 


Numaguwa  of  Kumamoto,  Higo,  was  for  a short  time  iu  New  Bruns- 
wick in  1870,  but  was  obliged  to  return  liome  on  account  of  ill  health. 
From  Kumamoto  he  sent  several  students  to  study  in  Fukui.  He  was  a 
noble  specimen  of  a Japanese  samurai,  and  on  his  return  was  influential 
in  founding  a school  in  his  native  city  before  he  died.  This  school  was 
for  several  years  in  charge  of  Captain  Janes  and  became  noted  for  its 
excellence.  Many  of  its  graduates  taking  their  theological  course  in 
Kioto  became  Christian  ministers  and  missionaries. 

Taro  Kusakabe  was  a native  of  Fukui,  Echizen,  of  the  Samurai  class, 
and  as  his  name  implies,  was  the  first-born  of  his  parents.  He  was  an 
admirable  mathematician,  and  an  excellent  scholar.  He  entered  Rutgers 
college  in  1867,  and  would,  had  he  lived,  have  graduated  with  honors  in 
the  class  of  1870.  He  died  April  13,  1870,  of  consumption.  The  writer 
met  his  father  in  Fukui  and  presented  to  him  the  B.  K.  key  presented 
by  the  chapter  in  Rutgers  College.  His  books  sent  back  from  America 
where  added  to  the  library  of  the  school  of  English  and  Science  in 
Fukui. 

Tetsunosuke  Tomita,  a native  of  Sendai,  born  about  1837,  made  his 
home  for  fifteen  months  with  Rev.  E.  T.  Corwin,  D.  D.,  and  after  study 
at  New  Brunswick,  entered  Whitney’s  Business  College  at  Newark.  He 
returned  to  Japan  in  1870,  and  afterward  held  office  as  H.  I.  J.  M.  con- 
sul at  New  York  and  San  Francisco. 

Kozo  Soogiwoora,  the  assumed  name  of  Yoshinari  Hatakeyama,  born 
iu  Kagoshima,  Satsuma,  was  among  the  number  who  clandestinely  left 
Japan,  having  taken  another  name  to  avoid  the  vigilance  of  the  sho-gun’s 
spies.  Falling  into  the  hands  of  some  socialistic  fanatics  at  or  near  Dun- 
kirk, he  worked  on  a farm  gratuitously  for  the  jiurpose,  they  told  him, 
“of  crucifying  the  flesh,  that  he  might  receive  true  knowledge.”  He 
escaped  from  them  and  reaching  New  Brunswick,  entered  for  the  scien- 
tific course  of  Rutgers  College  in  1867,  remaining  until  1871.  He  was 
then  ordered  to  attach  himself  as  interpreter  to  the  Embassy.  He  trav- 
eled round  the  world,  meeting  nearly  every  crowned  head  in  Europe, 
arriving  in  Japan  in  the  autumn  of  1873.  He  was  made  an  officer  in 
three  departments  of  the  government.  Interior,  Education,  Foreign  Affairs- 
As  director  of  the  Imperial  University  of  Tokid  he  did  much  to  advance 
its  prosperity  and  elevation.  Incessant  application  and  overwork,  aggra- 
vated bv  the  importunity  of  office  seekers,  brought  on  consumption.  He 
visited  the  Centennial  Exposition  at  Philadelphia  in  1876  in  the  hope  of 
recovery,  but  died  on  his  way  home  at  sea.  Hatakeyama  became  a Christ- 
ian, and  iu  1870  united  with  the  Second  Reformed  Church,  Rev.  C.  D. 
Hartranft,  pastor,  and  both  at  home  and  abroad  lived  a consistent  life, 
notwithstanding  that  at  his  death  he  was  buried  with  high  official  and 
pagan  honors.  Though  not  so  brilliant  as  Kusakabe,  he  was  a hard 
plodder,  and  Japan  lost  iu  him  a noble  son. 


23 


Zun  Zo  Matzmulla  (Junzo  Matsumnra)  a native  of  Kagoshima,  Sat- 
suma,  after  preparatory  study  in  the  grammar  school,  entered  Rutgers 
College  in  1868,  and  remained  one  year.  He  was  a thorough  student,  of 
quick  apprehension  and  clear  understanding.  He  took  the  regular  course 
at  Annapolis  Naval  Academy,  and  returning  home  received  a commission 
as  captain  in  the  Imperial  navy.  He  was  in  command  of  an  iron-clad, 
and  rose  to  be  a rear  admiral,  a position  which  he  now  occupies.  He 
keeps  up  his  professional  studies,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  foremost 
naval  men  of  Japan. 

John  Wesley  Iwoske  Nagai  (Kiyonari  Yoshida),  was  born  in  Satsuma 
in  1845.  He  left  Japan  in  1865,  visited  the  United  States  and  lived  two 
years  in  London,  studying  at  University  College.  He  afterward  studied 
at  Munson,  Mass.,  with  the  Rev.  S.  R.  Brown,  D.  D.,  and  entered 
Rutgers  College  in  September,  1868,  remaining  until  December  of  the 
same  year.  On  his  return  to  Japan  he  was  made  chief  clerk  of  the 
finance  department,  appointed  commissioner  of  internal  revenue,  and 
in  1871,  having  been  appointed  assistant  minister  of  finance,  he  visited 
Europe  and  the  United  States  to  negotiate  a loan  of  812,000,000  in 
which  he  was  very  successful.  From  1874  to  1882  he  was  the  Mikado’s 
minister  plenipotentiary  in  Washington.  He  now  occupies  the  position 
of  vice-minister  of  foreign  affairs,  maintaining  his  studious  habits,  and 
will  doubtless,  if  his  life  is  spared,  fill  a cabinet  position  of  the  first  class, 

Ichiy  Zo  Hattori  (Ichizo  Hattori)  a native  of  Yamaguchi,  Cho-shiu- 
Suwo,  entered  Rutgers  College  and  took  the  full  scientific  course,  grad- 
uating in  1875.  He  delivered  at  commencement  an  oration  in  Japanese. 
Returning  to  Japan  he  was  made  vice-director  of  the  language  or  prepara- 
tory school  of  the  Tokio  University,  and  rose  to  be  vice-president  of  the 
University  and  dean  of  the  law  department.  Later  he  was  appointed 
commissioner  to  the  New  Orleans  exposition,  and  is  now,  we  believe,  H. 
I.  J.  M.  consul-general  at  London. 

Shumma  Shirane  (Shiuma  Shirane).  After  preparatory  study  at  the 
grammar  school  entered  Rutgers  College  in  1871,  remaining  less  than 
one  term.  He  is  now  a ship-builder  at  Kanagawa,  Japan. 

Nagateru  Yasujiro  Outska  (Utsiika)  entered  Rutgers  College  in  Sep- 
tember, 1872,  and  remained  until  1874. 

Yasutaro  Hara,  Zen  Kichy  Ongawa,  and  Yoshiro  Ohsawa  were  admitted 
into  Rutgers  College,  purposing  to  take  the  scientific  course. 

Seiichi  Kudo,  a native  of  Tbkio,  came  to  New  Brunswick  in  1872 
unable  to  converse  in  English.  He  became  a member  of  the  household 
of  Rev.  E.  Corwin  at  iMillstone  and  a member  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
In  two  years  he  entered  Rutgers  College  ranking  among  the  first  nine. 
Taking  first  classical  and  then  scientific  studies,  he  was  graduated  in 
both  courses.  While  in  college  he  was  supported  by  Dr.  Corwin  and 
other  American  friends.  Changing  his  views  he  gave  up  the  idea  of 


24: 


entering  the  ministry,  and  is  now  connected  with  the  department  of 
education  in  Japan. 

Moto  Oghimi  (Moto-ichiro  Ogimi)  of  Shidtihka,  Suruga,  who  had 
been  a civil  judge  in  Japan,  came  to  Holland,  Michigan,  about  1872  or 
1873.  He  became  a Christian,  united  with  the  church,  and  passed 
through  the  full  course  of  preparatory  study  in  the  grammar  school,  and 
in  Hope  College.  Coming  to  New  Brunswick  he  took  the  full  course  in 
the  Theological  Seminary,  and  was  ordained  by  the  chassis  of  Albany  in 
1882.  He  is  now  a missionary  of  the  Keformed  Church  in  America, 
laboring  in  Tokio.  He  is  pastor  of  the  church  in  Kojimachi,  and  lecturer 
on  Church  History  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  of  Tokio,  which 
is  maintained  by  the  united  missions  under  the  Presbyterian  form  of 
government,  and  in  December,  1885,  was  Moderator  of  the  Third  Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

Kumage  Kimnra,  coming  to  Holland,  Michigan,  about  the  same  time 
with  Ogimi,  passed  through  the  full  course  of  grammar  school  and  Hope 
College,  and  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at  New  Brunswick.  He 
was  licensed  to  preach  May  23,  and  ordained  by  the  classis  of  New 
Brunswick,  June  4,  1882,  signing  his  subscription  in  Japanese  and  Eng- 
lish. He  is  now  a missionary  of  the  Eeformed  Church  in  America 
laboring  in  the  Tokio  station. 

Koroku  Katz  (K.  Katsu),  the  son  of  the  famous  minister  of  the  sho- 
gun (Katsu  Awa),  who  was  present  at  the  signing  of  Perry’s  treaty,  saved 
Yedo  from  conflagration  in  1868,  navigated  the  first  Japanese  steamer 
across  the  Pacific,  and  was  the  Mikado’s  minister  of  marine  or  secretary 
of  the  navy.  K.  Katz  came  to  New  Brunswick,  studying  in  the  grammar 
school  two  years  or  more,  passed  through  the  Annapolis  Naval  Academy, 
and  is  now  an  officer  in  the  imperial  navy. 

Hiraka,  a law  student  in  Boston,  but  known  in  New  Brunswick,  on  his 
return  to  Japan  became  a judge. 

ilasashi  Nara  Nambu,  younger  brother  of  Nambu  Okuma  is  now  pay- 
master in  the  imperial  navy. 

Juisuke  Yamamoto,  of  Yamaguchi,  Cho-shiu-Suwo,  was  prepared  in  the 
grammar  school  at  New  Brunswick  for  the  scientific  course,  but  entered 
the  Eensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  graduating  in  full 
course.  He  is  now  a railway  engineer  in  the  department  of  public 
works  in  Japan. 

Yonosuke  Mitsi  and  Yozo  Mitsi,  for  a while  at  New  Brunswick,  are  now 
in  the  banking  business  in  Kioto. 

Hikoichi  Orita,  born  in  Satsuma,  came  to  New  Brunswick  in  October, 
1870,  and  for  two  years  Avas  a member  of  Di’.  E.  T.  CorAvin’s  household 
at  Millstone.  In  1872  he  entered  Princeton  College,  graduating  in  1876, 
delivering  an  oration  in  his  native  language.  He  Avas  baptized  by  Dr. 
McCosh,  not  as  a member  of  any  particular  church,  but  as  a Christian. 


25 


In  Japan  he  was  appointed  in  the  department  of  education,  assisting  Dr. 
Murray  as  interpreter  for  some  time.  He  is  now  in  charge  of  physical 
culture  at  the  Tdkio  University. 

Uobu  Kanda,  the  son  of  an  eminent  progressive  liberal  in  Tokio. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  after  six 
months  stay  with  Dr.  Corwin,  went  to  Amherst,  Massachusetts,  and 
spent  six  or  seven  years,  graduating  in  full  course  from  Amherst  College. 
He  is  now  professor  of  English  and  Latin  in  the  language  school  of 
the  Imperial  University  of  Tokio.  Becoming  a Christian  in  America, 
he  Avitnesses  a good  confession  at  home. 

Kotaro  Asahi  (Tomosada  Iwakura),  the  son  of  the  dai-jin  or  junior 
premier  Tomomi  Iwakura,  born  in  Kioto,  was  with  his  brother  a pupil  of 
Eev.  Guido  F.  Verbeck  at  Nagasaki,  and  came  to  the  United  Statesiu  1868. 
Though  in  very  delicate  health,  he  spent  over  two  years  in  the  grammar 
school,  and  is  now  secretary  of  tbe  Da  Jo  Kuan,  or  imperial  privy  council 
at  Toki5. 

Kotaro  Tats  (Tomotsiine  Iwakura)  after  two  years  study  at  New 
Brunswick,  accompanied  his  father,  the  chief  of  the  embassy,  to  Europe 
and  studied  during  several  years  at  Oxford.  He  is  now  secretary  of  the 
Japanese  legation  at  St.  Petersburg. 

K.  T.  Minami,  another  son  of  Iwakura,  Avas  at  New  BrunsAvick  a few 
months,  and  Avhen  known  to  the  Avriter  in  Japan,  had  charge  of  extensive 
tea  plantations  in  Shimosa. 

Samro  Takaki,  a uatiA^e  of  Sendai,  Avas  a diligent  student  at  the  gram- 
mar school,  and  afterward  H.  I.  J.  M.  consul  at  New  York  and  San 
Francisco.  He  is  noAv  connected  with  the  Doshin  Kai-sha,  a large  silk 
company  in  Yokohama. 

Nambu  Okuma  Avas  in  Ncav  BrunsAvick  in  1871.  In  Japan  he  married 
a daughter  of  Okuma,  the  minister  of  finance.  He  AAms  for  a Avhile  an 
officer  in  the  land  survey,  and  is  noAv  a teacher  in  a private  school  in 
Tokio. 

Kenjiro  YamakaAva,  a very  diligent  student,  on  his  return  home  was 
made  assistant  professor  of  physics  in  the  Imperial  University  of  Tokio, 
and  since  1882  has  been  full  professor. 

Takemura  is  noAV  in  the  finance  department,  Tokio. 

Okubo  is  noAV  assistant  curator  in  the  botanical  gardens  of  the  Imperial 
University  of  Tokio. 

KaAvamura  is  now  an  artist  in  Tokio. 

Tugawa  Avas  the  first  Japanese  Avho  came  to  Holland,  Michigan.  Be- 
coming a Christian,  he  united  Avith  the  Eeformed  Church,  Eev.  A.  T. 
SteAvart,  D.  D.,  pastor.  He  did  not  enter  college. 

Osama  Nagura,  of  Shidzuoka,  Japan,  is  now  a surgeon  in  the  Japanese 
army. 


4 


20 


Tadanari  Matsudaira  was  born  in  Uyeda  in  Sliiuano,  and  by  hereditary 
succession  became  daimio,  or  territorial  feudal  ruler  of  his  province,  but 
retired  to  private  life  in  1871  after  the  edict  of  the  Mikado  mediatizing 
the  dainiios.  He  entered  Rutgers  College,  taking  the  full  scientific  course 
and  graduated  in  1879  Under  the  peerage  regulation,  promulgated  by 
the  Mikado  in  1884,  he  was  made  viscount  of  the  empire.  He  is  now  an 
officer  in  the  department  of  foreign  affairs,  and  is  interested  especially  in 
the  advaticement  of  education  in  his  old  province,  for  which,  in  late 
years  he  has  given  money  in  considerable  sums. 

Kojiro  Matsugata,  who  prepared  at  the  grammar  school  and  entered 
upon  the  scientific  course  at  Rutgers  College  in  June,  188-5,  is  a son  of 
Count  Matsugata,  the  Mikado’s  minister  of  finance. 

There  are  now  at  New  Brunswick  in  the  college,  Kumakichiro  Oishi, 
and  in  grammar  school,  S.  Tsuchiya  and  Masaichi  Noma. 

The  number  of  Japanese  students  who  have  studied  at  New  Brunswick 
during  longer  or  shorter  periods  of  time  is  about  three  hundred.  At 
one  period,  there  were  about  thirty  of  them  boarding  in  the  city,  from 
the  learners  of  the  alphabet  to  the  members  of  the  college  classes.  Nearly 
all  were  well  educated  in  the  learning  of  Japan  and  China,  and  most  of 
those  who  came  before  18G9  had  been  in  Dr.  Verbeck’s  school  at  Nagasaki. 

V.  INSCRIPTIONS  ON  THE  MONUMENTS  IN  THE  JAPANESE 
LOT  IN  WILLOW  GROVE  CEMETERY,  NEW  BRUNSWICK, 
N.  J. 

TARO  KUSAKABE, 

A NATIVE 

OP  ACHIZEN,  JAPAN. 

DIED  APRIL  13,  1870. 

AGED  25  YEARS. 

A student  of  Rutgers  College, 

CLASS  ’70, 

AND  A MEMBER  OF 

d>.  B.  E. 


IN  MEMORY  OF 

K I J I R 0 W H A S E G A W A, 

HBIEJI,  JAPAN. 

Who  Died  at  Troy,  N.  Y., 

NOV.  18,  1871, 

AGED  2.3  YEARS. 


IN  MEMORY  OF 

SOSUKE  MATSGATA, 
SATSUMA,  JAPAN. 

Who  Died  at  Farmington,  Conn., 

AUG.  13,  1872, 

AGED  22  YEARS. 


27 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

JINZABURO  OBATA, 

KOKUEA,  JAPAN. 

Died  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 

JAN.  20,  1873, 

AGED  29  YEARS. 


IN  MEMORY  OF 

I RITE  OTOJIRO, 

CHOSHIIT,  JAPAN. 

Died  at  Neiv  York  City,  N.  Y., 

MARCH  30,  1873. 

AGED  19  YEARS. 


ERECTED  IN  MEMORY  OF 

J.  OBATA, 

By  Ms  Associates  in  the 

KEI-O  GIJIKU, 

TOKIO,  JAPAN. 

INFANT 
DAUGHTER  OF 

SAMRO  AND  SUM  A TAKAKI, 
Died  September  5,  1877. 


VI.  MISSIONARIES  OF  THE  REFORMED  CHURCH  IN  AMER- 
ICA IN  JAPAN. 

(For  biography  and  notes,  see  Manual  of  the  R.  C.  A.,  by  Rev.  E.  T.  Corwin,  D.  D. 


NAME. 

College. 

Years  in 
service. 

1 

Place. 

Samuel  R.  Brown,  D.  D.  (founded 
first  Christian  school  in  China, 
preacher,  translator,  author) 

A"ale,  ’32 

1859-1879. 

( Kanagawa. 

- A^okohama. 

( Niigata. 

j Nagasaki. 

Guido  P.  Verbeck,  D.  D.  (president  of 
the  Imperial  University  of  Tokio. 
1869-’73 ; awarded  decoration,  3rd 
order  of  merit  by  the  Mikado) 

1859-1885. . 

James  H.  Ballagh 

Rutgers, 

’57. . . . 

1861-1885. . 

1 1 okiO. 
A'okohama. 

D.  B.  Simmons,  M.  D 

1859. 

Henry  Stout 

Euta’ers, 

’65. . . . 

1868-1885. . 

Xa,g*asaVi 

Chas.  H.  H.  Wolff 

1870-1875. 

3 A'okohama. 

Edward  Rothesay  Miller 

Princeton,  ’67.  . 

N.  Y.  Univ.  ’62. 

1872-1885. . 

( Hirosaki. 

3 A'okohama. 

James  L.  Amerman,  D.  D 

1876-1885. . 

( TOkiO. 

Tokio. 

Eugene  S.  Booth  

Rutgers, 

’76. . . . 

1876-1885. . 

3 Nagasaki. 

( A^okohama. 
Nagasaki. 
Nagasaki. 
(Eukui. 

- Niigata 

N.  H.  Demarest 

Rutgers, 

’80. . . . 

188U1885. . 

Howard  Harris 

Rutgers, 

’73. . . . 

1884-1885.  . 

Martin  N.  Wyckoff 

Rutgers, 

’69. . . . 

1881-1885. . 

(Tokio. 

28 


Lady  Missiokauies. 


(In  addition  to  tlie  wives  of  ordained  missionaries.) 


NAME. 

Years  iu 
service. 

Place. 

Mrs.  E.  R.  Miller  (born  Kidder) 

1869-1885. . 

j Yokohama. 

/ Tokio. 
Yokohama. 

Miss  n.  K.  M.  Hequemboi’o- 

1872-1874. 

jMiss  Emma  C.  Whitbeck 

1874-1878. 

Yokohama. 

Miss  Hattie  Brown 

1878-1880. 

Yokohama. 

Miss  H.  L.  Winn  

1877-1883. 

Yokohama. 

Miss  Leila  Winn 

1878-1885. . 

Yokohama. 

Miss  IMarv  L.  Farrington 

1878. 

Nagasaki. 

Nagasaki. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Farrington 

1878. 

Miss  Carrie  E.  Ballagli 

1882-1885. 

Yokohama. 

Miss  Anna  N.  Ballagii 

1884-1885. . 

Yokohama. 

Miss  Clara  B.  Richards 

1884. 

Nagasaki. 

!Miss  !Mary  E.  Brokaw 

1884-1885. . 

Nagasaki. 

AIembeks  R.  C.  a.  IX  W.  U.  M.  S. 

Mrs.  Marv  Prnvn 

1871-1876. 

Miss  .Julia  Cro.shv 

1871-1885.. 

Native  ORDAiiirED  Mii^isters,  1884. 


Masatsnna  Okniio 

Sliigeto  Maki 

Kajinosuke  Ibuka. 
Kumaji  Kimura, . 
Motoicliiro  Ogimi. 
Akira  luagaki. . . . 


TOkio. 


Yokoliania. 


Kaiicki  Bamio 

Sliinkichi  Takagi  . 
Masaliisa  Uvemura 
Asaslii  Segawa. . . . 
Ickiji  Toinegawa.. 


Yokohama. 


Nagasaki. 


IMissioxary  Statistics  of  the  Keformed  Church  in  America  in 


Japan. 

Stations,  Tukio,  Yokohama,  Nagasaki 3 

Out-stations  and  preaching  places 32 

Missionaries,  ordained 8 

Assistant  missionaries,  male 2 

Assistant  missionaries,  female  14 

Native  ordained  ministers 12 

Catechists  or  jireachers 11 

Unlicensed  assistant  catechists 12 

Schoolmistresses 3 

Churches 10 

Communicant  members 837 

Academies 3 

Scholars  in  academies *206 

Day  schools 3 

Scholars  in  day  schools 70 

Theological  students 22 

Contributions  of  native  churches $2,049  57 


Churches,  in  T5kio,  4 ; Uyeda,  1 ; in  Yokohama,  1 ; in  Nagoya,  1 ; in 
Mishima,  1 ; in  Nagasaki,  1 ; in  Kagoshima,  1. 

Educational  institutions,  in  Tokio,  Sandham  Academy  ; in  Yokohama, 
Ferris  Seminary  for  girls  ; in  Nagasaki,  Sturges  Seminary  for  girls,  and 
a theological  class  in  Mr.  Stout’s  house. 


* Including  193  pupils  in  the  Union  CoWege  in  Tokio. 


29 


VII.  BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Graduates,  E.  C. 

E.  H.  Pruyn,  see  U.  S.  Diplomatic  Correspondence,  1862-66.  Volum- 
inous and  of  great  historical  value. 

J.  H.  Ballagh,  translations  of  Westminster  catechism  and  hymns. 
Spirited  and  valuable  letters  to  the  Christian  Inielligencer,  1860-1885. 

H.  N.  Stout,  translations,  “Inscriptions  in  Shimabara  and  Amakfisa,’' 
in  transactions  Asiatic,  Society  of  Japan,  Vol.  VII,  1879;  Manual  of 
Sacred  History,  1883;  Manual  of  Church  History,  1884;  text-books  in 
theology. 

W.  E.  Griffis,  Kew  Japan,  series  of  primers,  reading  and  spelling 
books,  five  vols. ; the  Tokio  Guide  ; the  Yokohama  Guide;  Map  of  Toki5 
with  notes,  1874;  the  Mikado’s  Empire,  1st  ed.  1876,  5th  ed.  1886;  .Jap- 
anese Fairy  World,  1880;  Corea  the  Hermit  Nation,  2d  ed.,  1885;  Corea 
Without  and  Within,  1884  ; Life  of  Matthew  Calbraith  Perry,  a typical 
American  naval  officer.  Many  articles  in  Japanese  and  American  news- 
papers, magazines,  reviews  and  encyclopedias,  and  revision  of  matter 
relating  to  Japan  in  text  books  of  geography  and  history,  maps,  and 
words  in  Webster’s  Dictionary. 

E.  W.  Clark,  letters  in  Eva^igelist  and  N.  Y.  Evening  Post  ; Life  and 
Adventure  in  Japan,  1878;  From  Hong  Kong  to  the  Himalayas,  1880. 

M.  N.  Wyckoflf,  Manual  of  English  Composition  (in  Japanese),  Tokio, 
1885. 


S.  R.  Brown,  Translations  of  Sei  Yo  Ki  Bun,  a Japanese  work  in  3 
vols.,  and  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  1868-’76;  Grammar  of  Col- 
loquial Japanese,  1863;  Prendergast’s  Mastery  System  applied  to  .Japan- 
ese, 1875  ; many  letters  to  American  newspapers. 

G.  F.  Verbeck,  author  of  several  tracts  and  important  memorials  to 
the  government  of  Japan,  which  have  had  great  influence  for  good  ; 
translator  of  the  Bible  and  Hymn  book  ; History  of  Protestant  Missions 
in  Japan,  1883. 

J.  L.  Amerman,  Biblical  Theology  of  the  New  Testament,  2d  ed., 
1884;  Argument  for  the  Being  of  a God,  and  Introduction  to  the  Study 
of  Systematic  Theology,  1884;  Attributes  of  God  and  the  Trinity,  1885. 

In  addition  to  books  in  bound  volumes  written,  most  of  the  mission- 
aries have  made  contributions  in  various  ways  to  a Christian  Japanese 
literature.  Tracts,  hymns,  manuals  and  the  entire  liturgy  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  America,  now  in  Japanese  dress,  are  the  products  of 
their  labors.  Mrs.  E.  R.  Miller  edits  the  Yorolcobino  Otodzure  (Glad 
Tidings),  a weekly  Christian  newspaper,  and  a leaflet  published  for  little 
children.  The  former  has  a circulation  of  3,300  and  the  latter  of  1,300 
copies  respectively.  They  go  into  nearly  every  province  of  the  empire. 


30 


VIII.  HOW  THE  JAPANESE  CAME  TO  NEW  BEHNSWICK. 

<By  theRev.  John  M.  Ferris,  D.D.,  Honorary  Secretary  of 'the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  America.) 

Eeturning  from  an  errand  to  the  office  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions at  103  Enlton  street,  N.  Y.,  late  in  the  afternoon  in  the  autumn 
of  18GG,  I found  there  a plain  looking  man  and  two  young  men  who 
appeared  to  he  Chinamen.  The  man  proved  to  be  the  captain  of  a bark, 
the  young  men  Japanese.  They  were  clothed  in  American  garments. 
They  presented  a letter  from  Eev.  Guido  E.  Verbeck,  then  at  Nagasaki, 
in  which  it  was  said  only  that  they  were  of  good  family  and  worthy  of 
attention.  Inquiry  elicited  that  they  had  been  a few  months  in  Dr. 
Verbeck’s  school,  had  learned  some  English  there,  and  picked  up  more 
on  the  long  voyage  of  about  six  months.  They  wished,  they  said,  to 
study  navigation,  to  learn  how  to  build  “big  ships”  and  make  “big 
guns,”  to  prevent  European  powers  from  taking  possession  of  their 
country.  They  had  one  hundred  dollars  in  gold  remaining  of  the 
amount  with  which  they  started.  This,  reckoning  the  cost  of  living  as 
the  same  as  in  Japan,  they  thought  would  be  nearly  enough  to  enable 
them  to  accomplish  their  purpose.  I told  them  it  would  be  necessary  to 
study  many  things  before  they  could  properly  understand  the  science  of 
navigation,  and  especially  before  they  could  build  ships,  and  that  the 
money  they  had  would  be  far  from  enough  to  carry  them  through  the 
course  they  would  have  to  pursue,  but  that  I would  see  what  could  be 
done  for  them;  and  asked  them  to  call  frequently. 

Dr.  Verbeck’s  letter  was  soon  after  presented  to  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  a report  made  of  conver- 
sations with  the  young  men.  The  members  of  the  committee  directed 
that  an  endeavor  should  be  made  to  find  a home  for  these  students  in 
New  Brunswick,  and  to  provide  for  their  instruction  in  the  grammar 
school.  It  was  also  resolved  to  advance  from  the  treasury  what  might 
be  necessary  for  their  support  until  we  could  hear  from  their  friends  in 
Japan.  At  that  time  there  were  in  the  committee  some  of  the  highest 
contributors  in  the  church  to  the  income  of  the  Board.  They  pledged 
themselves  to  pay  the  advances  which  might  be  necessary,  if  objection 
was  made  to  such  use  of  the  funds. 

The  young  men  gave  Ise  and  Numagawa  as  tlieir  names;  they  proved 
to  be  assumed  names.  All  the  students,  who  for  some  years  came  from 
Japan,  dropped  their  real  names  and  assumed  others. 

I accompanied  Ise  and  Numagawa  to  New  Brunswick,  after  having 
made  some  inquiries,  and  conducted  them  to  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Van 
Arsdale,  and  told  lier  who  they  were  and  what  they  wished  to  do.  She 
asked  for  a few  minutes  to  consult  some  one,  and  soon  returned  to  the 
parlor  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Eomeyn,  the  widow  of  Rev.  Dr.  James 
Romeyn.  Tliese  excellent  Christian  ladies  had  almost  instantly  con- 
cluded that  here  was  a most  desirable  opportunity  to  do  an  important 
work  for  the  Master  and  for  Japan.  They  were  very  cordial,  almost 
enthusiastic  in  the  welcome  they  extended  to  the  young  students,  and 
engaged  to  care  for  them  as  they  would  for  their  own  children. 

\Ve  then  walked  to  the  residence  of  Rev.  Alexander  McKelvey,  the 
Rector  of  the  Grammar  School,  and  were  most  heartily  received.  He 
manifested  great  pleasure  in  the  prospect  of  teaching  students  from 


31 


Japaiij  and  through  them  conveying  the  benefits  of  a Christian  educa- 
tion to  their  countrymen. 

This  reception  we  could  only  regard  as  providential,  for  it  was  difficult 
for  some  years  to  find  homes  for  Japanese  students.  Other  boarders 
threatened  to  leave  and  Irish  servants  almost  uniformly  threatened  to 
leave  if  they  were  taken  into  the  house.  I once  spent  two  days  unsuc- 
cessfully, in  endeavoring  to  obtain  rooms  in  a private  boarding  house  for 
a Japanese  prince  (Adzuma),  a member  of  the  Imperial  family,  and  his 
three  attendants,  who  were  very  courteous  gentlemen.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  add  that  Mrs.  Van  Arsdale  and  Mrs.  Eomeyu  fulfilled  their 
promises  to  the  letter,  and  that  Mr.  McKelvey  proved  a patient,  sympa- 
thetic and  earnest  teacher. 

The  young  men  had  forfeited  their  lives  by  coming  to  this  country. 
They  had  left  without  the  permission  of  the  government,  for  it  was 
then  extremely  doubtful  whether  such  permission  could  have  been 
obtained.  Fortunately  their  uncle  was  highly  esteemed  by  the  daimios 
as  a counsellor,  and  was  a rising  man  in  the  empire.  He  not  long  aftPr 
became  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  progressive  party  and  was  made  one  of 
the  two  Ministers  of  Foreign  Affairs.  His  nephews  wrote  to  him,  to 
other  relatives  and  to  their  friends.  I also  wrote,  in  the  name  of  the 
Board,  especially  to  Dr.  Verbeck,  to  Kev.  R.  S.  Brown,  D.  D.,  and  Rev. 
James  H.  Ballagh,  who  represented  us  in  Japan.  Dr.  Verbeck  cast  his 
increasing  influence  into  the  scale.  Dr.  Brown,  who  was  acting  as 
interpreter  to  the  American  Embassy,  and  therefore  respected  by  the 
Japanese  authorities,  was  consulted,  and  urged  that  Ise  and  ISTumagawa 
had  taken  a wise  step,  ought  to  be  commended,  and  that  other  students 
should  be  sent  to  the  United  States. 

The  government  soon  expressed  its  approbation  of  the  course  of  the 
young  students,  appropriated  money  to  repay  the  advances  made  for 
them,  and  to  meet  the  expense  of  their  education  in  this  country. 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  great  movement  to  this  country  and  to 
Europe  of  Japanese  young  men  to  obtain  a knowledge  of  western  science. 
During  the  i'ollowing  ten  years,  I think,  about  five  hundred  of  these 
students  in  all  sought  advice  or  assistance  of  one  kind  and  another,  at 
the  office  of  our  Board.  The  work,  involving  some  thought  and  effort 
and  responsibility,  was  throughout  a very  pleasant  one,  and  as  now 
recalled,  brings  up  many  delightful  incidents.  Pages  could  easily  be 
filled  with  the  events  of  that  movement  of  eager,  earnest  and  most 
courteous  men  to  obtain  an  education. 

When  the  movement  was  at  its  height,  the  revolution  which  deposed 
the  Tycoon,  began  in  Japan.  Some  of  the  students  were  soon  out  of 
money.  They  called  on  ine  and  stated  their  case.  I visited  a few  gen- 
tlemen and  wrote  to  others.  A company  was  quickly  formed  which 
engaged  to  furnish  money  as  I might  call  for  it,  until  the  result  of  the 
attack  on  the  Tycoon  should  be  reached.  The  following  persons  were 
the  contributors  : Jonathan  Sturges,  James  Schieffelin,  James  A.  Wil- 
liamson, D Jackson  Steward,  Den.  Robert  H.  Pruyn,  and  Mrs.  Anna  M. 
Eerris.  When  the  revolution  of  1868  was  decided,  the  advances,  for 
which  the  students  had  given  due  bills,  were  repaid.  When  the  last 
company  of  commissioners  from  Japan,  led  by  Mr.  Iwakura  visited  this 
country,  they  prepared  a paper  recognizing  this  generous  kindness  and 
saying  that  it  had  had  more  effect  in  confirming  the  friendly  regard  for 
the  United  States  by  the  Government  of  Japan  than  any  event  in  their 


32 


intercourse  with  this  country.  Some  of  the  contributors  advanced  five 
to  six  hundred  dollars. 

l\ly  impression  is  that  three  or  four  gentlemen  besides  those  I have 
named,  assisted  in  providing  for  the  emei-gency,  but  I was  at  the  time 
obtaining  money  for  various  objects  and  cannot  speak  of  them  positively. 
The  chief  contributors  were  those  I have  named. 

JoHsr  M.  Ferris. 

New  York,  Dec.  30,  1885. 

IX.  OFFICIAL  ACKNOWLEDGMENT  OE  THE  MIKADO’S  , 
AMBASSADORS,  IWAKURA  AND  OKUBO. 

Secretary’s  Office  of  the  Japanese  Embassy,  } 
Boston,  August  5,  1872.  j 

Rev.  J.  M.  Ferris,  D.D. 

Dear  Sir  — The  Ambassadors,  being  on  the  eve  of  their  departure  from 
the  United  States,  desire  again  to  convey  to  you  this  expression  of  their 
thanks  for  the  interest  which  you  have  (for  many  years)  invariably 
manifested  in  their  people  and  country. 

The  kind  assistance  and  encouragement  which  were  so  generally  exten- 
ded by  you  to  the  Japanese  students  who  studied  in  this  country  during 
a crisis  of  such  importance  in  our  national  history,  will  long  be  remembered 
by  us.  These  students  are  now  far  advanced  in  knowledge,  and  are  very 
useful  to  our  country,  and  the  Ambassadors  feel  it  is  mainly  due  to  your 
instrumentality. 

Until  recently  an  impression  has  prevailed  in  Japan,  that  many  foreign 
nations  did  not  entertain  kindly  feelings  toward  our  people.  ^ 

The  generous  conduct  exhibited  by  yourself  and  other  gentlemen  in  this 
instance,  as  well  as  in  all  matters  of  educational  interest  pertaining  to  the 
Japanese  youth,  wilt  do  mueh  to  correct  this  impression,  and  will  do  moi’e 
to  cement  the  friendly  relations  of  the  two  countries  than  all  other  influ- 
ences combined. 

Please  extend  to  the  gentlemen  this  renewed  assurance  of  the  Ambassa- 
dors’ high  appreciation  of  their  kindness,  and  they  will  likewise,  on  return- 
ing to  Japan,  explain  the  matter  satisfactorily  to  our  government. 

We  remain  yours  very  truly, 

TOMOMI  IWAKURA, 
TOSniMITI  OKUBO. 

Note  — The  names  of  the  Ambassadors  are  signed  in  Japanese  characters,  and  their  secre- 
tary adds  the  English  equivalents. 

New  Y'ork,  January  i,,  1886. 

Dear  Dr.  Griffis: 

To  prevent  any  misunderstanding  of  the  above  it  should  be  known  that  I acted  as  the  secre- 
tarv  of  our  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  not  us  an  individual  ; that  my  importance  and 
ability  were  almost  wholly  dependent  on  that  fact ; that  as  an  individual  I could  have  accom- 
plished very  little;  that  the  assistance  rendered  to  the  students  during  the  crisis  in  Japanese 
history  was  possible  only  through  the  cordial  and  generous  loans  of  the  gentlemen  already 
named.  I was  only  the  representative  of  others,  the  instrument  through  which  they  acted, 
and  the  acknowledgment  by  the  Ambassadors  belongs  to  them  more  than  to  me. 

Yours  sincerly. 


JOHN  M.  FERRIS 


